There are several existent transportation systems for high speed ground transportation of passengers and/or cargo, but all require essentially straight-line track because no provision is made for passenger comfort and/or cargo safety on curved track. Existing systems do not have positive mechanical traction between vehicles and track, and there are therefore limitations on the ascending and descending grades of the track. Furthermore, existing systems do not have vehicles mechanically tracked top and bottom, and therefore cannot ensure dynamic stability and thus passenger safety. Existing systems are limited to speeds of approximately 200 miles per hour even on essentially straight-line track, whereas the transportation system of the present invention should be able to have ground speeds of 500 miles per hour or more even on curved track while providing comfort and safety.
The vehicular tunnels of the present invention can be installed by the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,917 (Omnidirectional Drilling System) and by the invention disclosed in the patent application entitled OMNIDIRECTIONAL DRILLING SYSTEM WITH ROBOTIC INSTALLATION OF PREFABRICATED LININGS.